Chapter 9                            

Tristan stood there, leaning against the building even though it had been nearly an hour since she’d left him. Somehow, he couldn’t find the strength to leave that very spot. Her sent was everywhere, covering every part of his body. It was a mixture of sugar, cake batter, and cinnamon; a delicious aroma.

He could still envision her daring eyes speak her silent words as she left him breathless on the sidewalk. He could still picture the way her lips curved upwards, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, and two deliciously dangerous dimples.

He could also still remember how soft she felt against him. How absolutely amazing she felt against him. He felt his eyes dilate with his desire for her.

God, she was going to ruin it all.

Tristan threw his head back and let out a sigh. This was exactly what he didn’t need; a girl having an effect on him. Every time she was near, his mind went fuzzy, as if she was erasing all of his thoughts. His heart was always beating furiously whenever she smiled. Whenever she touched him. When she kissed him.

That was it. Tristan flew from the wall in a hurry. This was getting ridiculous. He was letting this little vixen get to him. It was time.

If he didn’t take her out now, he might never.

He sprinted to his car and drove to his apartment off campus. When he got to his home, he searched through his supply of tools. He had to do kill her. But how?

He could stab her. Shoot her. Suffocate her.

Endless possibilities, all resulting in the same outcome; Felicity’s death.

Tristan grabbed the vial of some poison he had discovered during one of his many missions. If he was going to kill Felicity, he would do it so that it was instant and painless. He studied the clear mixture, rubbing the slick container before placing it into his pocket and leaving his house, his heart shaking with uncertainty.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A white room. That’s where Sam could tell he was. His wrists and ankles were chained down to a metal table. He slid against the metal, trying to mangle his wrists from the shackles.

He angled his head towards the sound of a door as someone entered the room.

“Hello, Sam” said the sickening voice of Jade.

Sam growled.

She was in his face, tracing the outline of his lips with one of her fingers. “Don’t be like that, sweetie,” she teased, a vile smile spreading across her lips.

“Don’t call me that,” he sneered.

Her lips pouted, for only a second, before pulling back in a scowl. She smacked him across the face. He grunted, soaking in the sting from her strike. “Don’t sass me.” Her voice was demanding, yet taunting. “I can have your tongue cut out just for talking back.”

Sam stayed silent.

“Stop playing with the boy, Jade.” Jasper came in through the door and was now hovering over Sam. His cyan eyes were so bright, even in an already luminous room. “Good, you’re awake.”

Sam growled and turned his head away from his dangerously alluring eyes.

“Oh, Sam. You need to just get with the program, boy.” Sam was confused. What did this creep want with him? “You have no choice in the matter. You will serve us.”

Sam roared. These people would have to be sick to think that he would betray his own kind and fall! He couldn’t! Wouldn’t! It was his duty to save her. To help her save the entire world.

“Sorry, my boy.” A sharp prick of a needle penetrated his skin and unlike the last time, heat course through his veins. A burning sensation took hold and red tinted his vision. Sam arched off of the table and screamed in pain. What was happening to him? He heard the click of a door as someone left the room.

Jade and Jasper left him, but the fire raged on.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tristan was standing outside of Felicity’s door. He was battling with himself the entire way here. He of course knew which side had to win; the side that involved Felicity’s death. He knew that if he didn’t kill her, someone else would.

He sucked in a deep breath before tapping on the door twice.

No answer. That was strange.

Again, he knocked on the door.

Again, no answer.

As much as Tristan didn’t understand it, he always had an abnormally good sense of hearing. He stuck his ear up against the door. He could hear the extremely slow intake and outtake of her breathing. Why wasn’t she answering? Was she sleeping? The way her heart was beating off the charts told him she couldn’t be.

Something felt wrong. Extremely wrong.

Adrenaline took over. Tristan kicked open her door and raced inside. He gasped at what he saw. Felicity was sprawled out on the floor, twitching occasionally. He ran to her side. “Felicity?” he asked. She didn’t answer. He lifted her in his arms so that he could see her face. Her eyes were closed and she was completely limp. He gave her a light shake. “Felicity? Please answer me!”

Nothing.

“Felicity!” he cried.

He saw her eyes flutter. “Fel!” he yelled.

Her eyes broke open and she gasped as she reached out for Tristan. “Tristan?” she breathlessly called.

“Oh, Felicity.” Tristan crushed her tiny body against his hard frame. Adrenaline spiked through his veins, along with worry and panic. Why was he worrying about her? He came here to kill her.

“T…Tristan?”

“I’m right here, honey. I’m right here,” he softly comforted. He was disgusted with himself for even saying the words. She buried her head in his chest and sobbed. “Fel, can you tell me what happened?”

He felt her shake her head against him.

“You don’t remember anything?” He tried another question.

“I…there was…pain,” she mumbled.

“Anything else?” he pressed, still softly holding her against him.

“Then…darkness.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Felicity was never more thankful for company than she was now. Wrapped in Tristan’s arms, she felt her fear start to disappear. But in its place rose a new one. A different kind of fear.

One that she couldn’t quite place a name to.

A ripping sound made itself present. It wasn’t until Tristan was telling her to calm down did she realize that it was coming from her.

“Shhhh…Felicity. You’re okay. I’m here.” He was rubbing her fingers up and down her back, trying to soothe her.

“I just…don’t know what happened.” She tried to recall the earlier events, but besides fainting, all she could remember was the shimmering gold.

“Well, you’re fine now.” He lifted her up in his arms as he stood up. He walked over to her bed and gently tucked her behind the covers. He kissed her forehead, leaving a burning mark as she thought about the heat that seemed to sear through her. Even in the worst situation, she still felt flustered by his touch.

He started to walk away but before he got too far, she grabbed a hold of his wrist. “N-no. Don’t go.”

A sympathetic, yet understanding smile spread across his face. He cupped her cheek and she sunk into his inviting and warm palm. “Don’t worry, babe. I’m not going anywhere.”

She sighed with contentment.

“But I was going to and get you something to eat. You look dehydrated and malnourished.”

Felicity let out a soft laugh and released her grip hesitantly. He smiled and winked at her before he left her dorm to go and get her some food and drink.

She fidgeted slightly in her bed. Something shiny caught her eye. She sat up and reached to the end of her bed. She picked up a tiny vial that contained some sort of clear mixture. What is it? She’d never seen the liquid in her life. She spun the vial around in her hands as she studied it from every angle.

Was it Tristan’s? Why would he be caring around a vial of some strange substance? Surely this isn’t his. But then again, she knew it wasn’t hers.

She lay back down in the bed and clutched onto the vial, still studying its contents. Felicity wasn’t sure what it was, but she had a nagging feeling that it wasn’t something good.